List of Indiana state historical markers explained

This is a list of Indiana state historical markers.

Interest in a statewide system of historical markers for the U.S. state of Indiana arose as the state prepared to celebrate its centenary in 1916; the Indiana Historical Commission observed the lack of a system of historical markers and memorials, and as a result of its work, many individuals, organizations, and local governments began to erect various types of memorials to commemorate historic sites. Increasing numbers of historical markers through the 1920s and 1930s prompted the Commission and its successor, the Indiana Historical Bureau, to develop statewide lists of markers, and it asked the General Assembly for authority to become involved in the placement of historical markers in order to improve the numbers, quality, and topics of the markers. The New Deal administrations created to fight the Great Depression of the 1930s provided the manpower for the Bureau's first effort; workers from the Works Progress Administration produced steel signs for locations across the state, but their intentionally temporary nature meant that many had greatly deteriorated by the time that they were removed for scrap during World War II.[1]

After the war's end, state officials began to plan for a system of aluminum markers that could be expected to endure indefinitely. Although a few markers were placed privately in the first two decades after the war ended, the majority of the few markers that were erected during this time were state-funded markers to celebrate the centenary of the Civil War in the early 1960s. The state made its first substantial foray into the program in 1966 as it reached the sesquicentenary of statehood, and the Sesquicentennial Commission quickly doubled the number of state-financed markers. However, permanent financial involvement only began in 1989, when substantial funding was first granted for the purchase of markers on a long-term basis. More new markers were placed over the next fifteen years than had been placed since permanent markers were first produced in 1947. By 2024, more than 500 historic sites in 91 of the state's 92 counties had been commemorated by an official Indiana state historical marker.[2]

Numbers of listings by county

The following are tallies of current marker listings in Indiana by county. These counts are based on entries in the Indiana Historical Bureau's marker list as of March 2024. There are yearly additions to the listings and some markers may be missing or stolen.[3]

County
  1. of Sites
OldestNewest
1Adams219772006
2Allen519632003
3Bartholomew1019882013
4Benton319661999
5Blackford319892022
6Boone919612021
7Brown619922023
8Carroll619632021
9Cass119661966
10Clark1719622022
11Clay419992022
12Clinton120182018
13Crawford419922006
14Daviess1019662007
15Dearborn119991999
16Decatur519802014
17DeKalb719922023
18Delaware719812022
19Dubois220182021
20Elkhart1419662009
21Fayette119661966
22Floyd2319662021
23Fountain619702023
24Franklin1419492018
25Fulton119491949
26Gibson520022022
27Grant1119472022
28Greene219981998
29Hamilton919942022
30Hancock319662020
31Harrison2319482016
32Hendricks719722017
33Henry219661976
34Howard219662021
35Huntington1219492021
36Jackson819512022
37Jasper619642008
38Jay0N/AN/A
39Jefferson1619632022
40Jennings819662020
41Johnson519922023
42Knox1019662021
43Kosciusko819622007
44LaGrange119661966
45Lake1519492022
46LaPorte1019622018
47Lawrence419662005
48Madison719662022
49Marion10919462023
50Marshall319492011
51Martin119661966
52Miami319922023
53Monroe1119962020
54Montgomery1119622020
55Morgan619572020
56Newton519662021
57Noble719632014
58Ohio319612021
59Orange319612004
60Owen319662008
61Parke1519662012
62Perry419611966
63Pike319661992
64Porter519952018
65Posey519662006
66Pulaski119881988
67Putnam319662006
68Randolph520052016
69Ripley1019492022
70Rush419691969
71St. Joseph2319632021
72Scott1619632004
73Shelby519512011
74Spencer419922001
75Starke120002000
76Steuben319762022
77Sullivan819722008
78Switzerland419662022
79Tippecanoe1119532014
80Tipton219661994
81Union219632017
82Vanderburgh1319472023
83Vermillion619602018
84Vigo1519662023
85Wabash819622007
86Warren219922002
87Warrick119661966
88Washington619632021
89Wayne1419622021
90Wells220012019
91White419611992
92Whitley519592013
Total:51719462009

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Rippel, Judy A. "History of the Indiana State Historical Marker Program". Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d. Accessed 2012-03-15.
  2. http://www.in.gov/history/markers/3819.htm Indiana Historical Markers by County
  3. http://www.in.gov/history/2807.htm Policies Governing the Indiana State Historical Marker Program